Biomedical subjects

Meir Broza

Publications and source records attributed to Meir Broza.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Vibrio cholerae strain typing and phylogeny study based on simple sequence repeats.

Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of cholera. Its natural reservoir is the aquatic environment. To date, practical typing of V. cholerae is mainly serological and requires about 200 antisera. Simple sequence repeats (SSR), also termed VNTR (for variable number of tandem repeats), provide a source of high genomic polymorphism used in bacterial typing. Here we describe an SSR-based typing method that combines the variation in highly mutable SSR loci, with that of shorter, relatively more stable mononucleotide repeat (MNR) loci, for accurate and rapid typing of V. cholerae. In silico screening of the V. cholerae genome revealed thousands of perfect SSR tracts with an average frequency of one SSR every 152 bp. A panel of 32 V. cholerae strains, representing both clinical and environmental isolates, was tested for polymorphism in SSR loci. Two strategies were applied to identify SSR variation: polymorphism of SSR tracts longer than 12 bp (L-SSR) assessed by capillary fragment-size analysis and MNR polymorphism assessed by sequencing. The nine L-SSR loci tested were all polymorphic, displaying 2 to 13 alleles per locus. Sequence analysis of eight MNR-containing loci (MNR-multilocus sequence typing [MLST]) provided information on both variations in the MNR tract itself, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in their flanking sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the combined SSR data showed a clear discrimination between the clinical strains belonging to O1 and O139 serogroups, and the environmental isolates. Furthermore, discrimination between 27 strains of the 32 strains was achieved. SSR-based typing methods combining L-SSR and MNR-MLST were found to be efficient for V. cholerae typing.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

PubMed2005

Adult non-biting midges: possible windborne carriers of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 non-O139.

Vibrio cholerae is a waterborne bacterium native to the aquatic environment. There are over 200 known serogroups yet only two cause cholera pandemics in humans. Direct contact of human sewage with drinking water, sea-born currents and marine transportation, represent modes of dissemination of the bacteria and thus the disease. The simultaneous cholera outbreaks that occur sometimes in distant localities within continental landmasses are puzzling. Here we present evidence that flying, non-biting midges (Diptera; Chironomidae), collected in the air, carry viable non-O1 non-O139 serogroups of V. cholerae. The association of V. cholerae with chironomid egg masses, which serve as a V. cholerae reservoir, was further confirmed. In simulated field experiments, we recorded the transfer of environmental V. cholerae by adult midges from the aquatic environment into bacteria-free water-pools. In laboratory experiments, flying adult midges that emerged from V. cholerae (O1 or O139) contaminated water transferred the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged pathogenic bacteria from one laboratory flasks to another. Our findings show that aerial transfer by flying chironomids may play a role in the dissemination of V. cholerae in nature.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Adhesion of Vibrio cholerae to granular starches.

Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by specific serogroups of Vibrio cholerae that are pathogenic to humans. Cholera can become epidemic and deadly without adequate medical care. Appropriate rehydration therapy can reduce the mortality rate from as much as 50% of the affected individuals to <1%. Thus, oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is an important measure in the treatment of this disease. To further reduce the symptoms associated with cholera, improvements in oral rehydration solution (ORS) by starch incorporation were suggested. Here, we report that V. cholerae adheres to starch granules incorporated in ORS. Adhesion of 98% of the cells was observed within 2 min when cornstarch granules were used. Other starches showed varied adhesion rates, indicating that starch source and composition play an important role in the interaction of V. cholerae and starch granules. Sugars metabolized by V. cholerae showed a repressive effect on the adhesion process. The possible mechanisms involved are discussed. Comparing V. cholerae adhesion with the adhesion of other pathogens suggests the involvement of starch degradation capabilities. This adhesion to granular starch can be used to improve ORT.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Vibrio cholerae hemagglutinin/protease degrades chironomid egg masses.

Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by specific serogroups of Vibrio cholerae that are pathogenic to humans. The disease does not persist in a chronic state in humans or animals. The pathogen is naturally present as a free-living organism in the environment. Recently, it was suggested that egg masses of the nonbiting midge Chironomus sp. (Diptera) harbor and serve as a nutritive source for V. cholerae, thereby providing a natural reservoir for the organism. Here we report that V. cholerae O9, O1, and O139 supernatants lysed the gelatinous matrix of the chironomid egg mass and inhibited eggs from hatching. The extracellular factor responsible for the degradation of chironomid egg masses (egg mass degrading factor) was purified from V. cholerae O9 and O139 and was identified as the major secreted hemagglutinin/protease (HA/P) of V. cholerae. The substrate in the egg mass was characterized as a glycoprotein. These findings show that HA/P plays an important role in the interaction of V. cholerae and chironomid egg masses.

Animals↗